Richard Collier: A Man Among Boys

Richard Collier sat in a courtroom on last thursday, and watched a jury decide on the fate on Tyrone Hartsfield. Mr. Hartsfield was accused of shooting Richard Collier, as retribution, because Mr. Collier beat him up in a fight some weeks before the incident in question.

I know I have some non-sports fans, that read this blog, so allow me to introduce you to Richard Collier. Richard Collier played for division three valdosta state, a small school in Georgia, and although he wasn't recruited or payed attention to by the nfl scouts, he believed in himself. And so, he fought for himself, and earned a spot on the offensive line of the Jacksonville Jaguars, he earned that spot, and got to play ahead of several veterans, almost all of them more highly regarded than he was. In his time on the Jaguars, Richard was thought of as hard working, honest, and an overall good guy.

However, all of that changed after he was cowardly shot and paralyzed, by Mr. Hartsfield. Mr. Collier lost one leg, and now has to be helped in the most basic of functions. He cannot enjoy the life that has been earned through a lifetime of hard work. However, he doesn't complain, he is upset that society has so much violence, he is saddened that doesn't have use of his legs,but he believes he has a good life.

Let's contrast that with that of the defendant. He was accused of this crime because he decided to tell people about it, and because the trial of evidence went straight to him. He stood up after a jury of his peers convicted him, and told the judge and jury that this wasn't fair, that he has been maligned by the system. I guess my response to that is.....CRAP!

I am a defense attorney, and one that represented indigent clients, I saw people from all walks and manners of life, and from every circumstance you can think of. I have represented child molesters, drug addicts, and all sorts of undesirables. Let me just tell you Mr. Defendant, you had a decent attorney, they made the motions for you, you were given your rights, but it was not the system that put you in this position, it was you.

It was not the stupidity of the system that got into a fight with a NFL offensive lineman, and then because your pride was wounded, tried to kill him. It was not your lawyer, the judge, nor the jurors, that told others about your plight, it was not us, that used the intelligence of two castrated squirrels, when deciding to go on this wonderful expedition that you went on.

I just wonder did it ever occur to you that MAYBE, it was not the greatest idea in the world to attack someone you had a loud, obvious, fight with, that maybe just maybe, when something happened to this local celebrity, that folks might, I don't know ask you where you were? Were you under the impression that people just weren't as bright as you, or maybe that you were such a hardcore gangsta that the police wouldn't dare to ask a brother like yourself where you were, or what you were doing?

I just have one more question, have you procreated? Because, God I hope not. I hope the same small minded, retarded sense of stupidity/entitlement has not bled through any other organisms. Richard Collier had his life almost ended by you, and now every day his life has been drastically altered by your mind numbing stupidity and rashness. But he has not spent that time being ravaged by depression or sadness, he is trying to make the best of his situation, and he says he has a good life.

You see, he is a man. Richard Collier, has so much inner strength, not even a thousand bullet's can bring him down, not a hundred knuckleheads and criminal deviants, can make him less of a man, less of a hero to those of us who have watched him courageously be much more than a football player.

So to Richard Collier, I salute you, to Tyrone Hartsfield, I want you to look at the man who you shot. I want you to examine your life, and how you deal with adversities and pains, and I hope you change the way you look at things. Because Richard Collier, is a man of great courage and conviction. Should you become 1/10 of the man you victimized that september day, I think you could consider your life successful.

As always,

Keep sports on your mind, and the law on your side.

The Sports Law Blogger
http://www.sportslaw-sportslaw.blogspot.com